Dissertation defence (Materials Engineering): DI Samuli Ranta
DI Samuli Ranta defends the dissertation in Materials Engineering titled “Holistic approaches to sustainable photovoltaic development in the Nordics” at the University of Turku on 8 December 2025 at 13.00 (University of Turku, Quantum, Auditorium, Turku).
Opponent: Dr Karl-Anders Weiß (Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Germany)
Custos: Professor Kati Miettunen, PhD (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0459-4
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Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
This dissertation explores how solar power (PV) systems can be made more sustainable and economically viable, especially in Finland. It focuses on four areas: eco-friendly materials, panel durability under snow load, advanced modeling tools, and grid integration. A key finding is that replacing steel with wood-based materials in substructures can reduce the system’s carbon footprint and costs. The study also found that thin-glass PV panels may be damaged by snow, and a new acoustic method helps detect these faults in laboratory testing. Finally, vertical East-West PV panels were shown to improve grid stability and deliver greater value to users.
Opponent: Dr Karl-Anders Weiß (Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Germany)
Custos: Professor Kati Miettunen, PhD (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0459-4
***
Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
This dissertation explores how solar power (PV) systems can be made more sustainable and economically viable, especially in Finland. It focuses on four areas: eco-friendly materials, panel durability under snow load, advanced modeling tools, and grid integration. A key finding is that replacing steel with wood-based materials in substructures can reduce the system’s carbon footprint and costs. The study also found that thin-glass PV panels may be damaged by snow, and a new acoustic method helps detect these faults in laboratory testing. Finally, vertical East-West PV panels were shown to improve grid stability and deliver greater value to users.
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